ROBOTIC canine companions are getting an upgrade. Artificially generated barks that match a robot dog's physical characteristics can stop it falling into the uncanny valley. As tech improves, robot pets are set to become more popular. But they will need to sound the part. Most existing robo-dogs are programmed to play pre-recorded woofs or growls that rarely fit the robot's outward appearance, says Roger Moore at the University of Sheffield, UK.

The security of peoples' finances is as important as the protection of their personal data (87%) by their bank A lack of understanding and trust in technology is stalling mainstream adoption of innovative new services which could make millions of people's daily lives simpler and more secure, new HSBC research reveals. The HSBC research report, Trust in Technology, shows that technologies such as fingerprint recognition, voice recognition and robo-advice hold enormous potential for uses from bank security to mobile payments and investment advice, yet millions of people who could benefit do not trust them because they do not understand them well enough. HSBC has commissioned a study of more than 12,000 people in 11 countries and territories looking at their perceptions and use of technology. The study of more than 12,000 people in 11 countries reveals four in every five people (80%) believe that technology makes their lives easier but less than half (46%) trust fingerprint recognition to replace their password, despite it being recognised to be at least five1 times more secure and significantly more convenient than traditional passwords. Eighty-four per cent of respondents say they would share their personal data with their bank if it meant getting a better service, underlining the need to educate consumers about the specific benefits of new technologies.

While some people are innately tuned into the emotions of those around them, others struggle to tell what they are thinking simply by looking at them. And a new study suggests that these differences could be in our DNA. Researchers pinpointed specific genetic variants that influence our ability to read a person's emotions, by asking people to compete a test first derived 20 years ago. And the findings suggest that women are better at reading people's thoughts than men. If you want to test how good you are at reading emotions, scroll through the pictures below and choose which expression you think the eyes are displaying.

France could be the first country to have fully autonomous cars on the road next year. The Associated Press reported that French companies Delphi and Transdev will partner to create taxi and shuttle services that transport passengers without a driver. The testing will start with on-demand driverless vehicles in Normandy and a van service that will shuttle passengers between a train station and the campus of the University of Paris Saclay. The route between the campus and train station is aimed at addressing a "first mile-last mile" gap in public transportation, getting people from their final destinations and start points to public transit. The services will begin with humans on board to give instruction before the planned fully autonomous phase in 2018.

The performance of humans' puny brains will be outmatched by computers within just 13 years, billionaire Elon Musk has claimed. The Tesla and SpaceX founder said that artificial intelligence will beat us at just about everything by 2030. He made the comments on Twitter, where he was responding to a new study which claims our race will be overtaken by 2060. "Probably closer to 2030 to 2040 in my opinion," he wrote. Machines will be better than us at translating languages by 2024 and writing school essays by 2026, they claimed.

Last October, Apple revealed an updated MacBook Pro with keen innovations and an overhauled design. But it was pricey enough for many customers to complain and saw gentle price adjustments and special offers on accessories to tempt buyers. What's more, the Apple Mac range lacked the latest seventh-generation processors from Intel, called Kaby Lake, which were not available last October but are now becoming more commonplace on rival PCs, and threatened to leave Apple behind. So this week's announcements of upgrades across the entire Apple computer range, including improved processors for the entry-level Apple MacBook Air which is especially popular with students for instance, weren't entirely surprising. I've spent the last 24 hours locked in a room with the new 27-inch iMac and the latest, top-of-the-range 15-inch MacBook Pro to see if the new configurations are worth the wait.

Kodi has become a hot topic in recent months, and not just within tech circles. The software has gone mainstream, with more and more people realising you can use it to watch new films and TV shows for free. However, it's currently under intense scrutiny, and has attracted the attention of police, broadcasters and legal authorities too. Here's everything you need to know about Kodi. The I.F.O. is fuelled by eight electric engines, which is able to push the flying object to an estimated top speed of about 120mph.

David Yang is an Armenian-born Russian founder, CEO of ABBYY an up and coming AI startup and an investor in AI startups. David is a co-founder, entrepreneur and/or co-investor of a number of other projects in addition to ABBYY. Foundation and participation in iiko company, which develops a new-generation system of restaurants and hospitality services management (http://www.iiko.ru, Participation in charity and educational projects, such as educational fund Ayb (http://www.ayb.am, David holds a, Ph.D. in Memeology, and received the Laureate of Russian Government Award in Science and Technology He has a BSc in Mathematics from Novosibirsk State University (Russia) and an MBA from the University of Brighton (UK).

I am finally living the life that futurists promise will bring me the happiness and balance I crave. The autonomous car has freed me from the slog of commuting. Rather than driving, I am using my time productively, for I am always connected, always working. Actually, I am squatting in my Subaru with a laptop, reclined against a nursing pillow, hoping no one calls the cops. And I'm not sure whether this experiment is a fantasy or a nightmare.

Yasmin Green leads a team at Google's parent company with an audacious goal: solving the thorniest geopolitical problems that emerge online. Jigsaw, where she is the head of research and development, is a think tank within Alphabet tasked with fighting the unintended unsavory consequences of technological progress. That means listening to fake news creators, jihadis, and cyber bullies so that she and her team can understand their motivations, processes, and goals. "We look at censorship, cybersecurity, cyberattacks, ISIS--everything the creators of the internet did not imagine the internet would be used for," Green said today at WIRED's 2017 Business Conference in New York. Last week, Green traveled to Macedonia to meet with peddlers of fake news, those click-hungry opportunists who had such a sway over the 2016 presidential election in the US.